Day 11 - Loch Lomond to Glencoe

 I had thought this would be my favourite day, as I could only imagine how scenic it would be.  But to be perfectly honest, it was a trial from the minute I got on the bike.  Day started wonderfully well, as we met up with my old neighbours, Colin & Dianne, who I hadn't seen for 15 years, since they moved up to Helensburgh. We had a gorgeous breakfast with them in Balloch and a fab chin-wag, catching up on each others' lives over the past 15 years. So I set off with a fully belly and a happy heart.  But I started off on the very busy A82 (or is it 84), which wasn't much fun. And when I found the cycle path, that was so rough, it rattled my brain and was pretty unpleasant too.  Plus I was extremely sleep-deprived and feeling like my eyes didn't connect with my brain, which didn't connect to my body. And although parts of the route were pretty along the Loch, I just wasn't feeling it. Called the crew for an emergency van stop and had coffee, coke, cake and peanut butter sarnies, and went off feeling better. The climb up away from the loch towards the Trossachs was nay bother, although I'd been dreading it. And a lovely picnic near the top was just the job. Loving life again.  Then Duncan joined me for the hilly section up and over towards and through Glencoe.  But it all got a bit much for me and I had the vertigo again, really bad - petrified of the busy A road swooping through the valleys, and the dizzying heights of the mountains. We had vicious headwinds and sidewinds through Glencoe proper, and it was getting late by then.  I'm afraid I hated it all, and wouldn't have got through it without Duncan coaxing me on. Arrived at Invercoe pretty late, after 71 hard miles, cold, hungry and 'over it'. Glad the midges came out and forced an early night. 









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